Afghanistan: Partners in Time

AUTHOR(S)

Cogan, Charles G.

PUB. DATE

September 2008

SOURCE

World Policy Journal;Fall2008, Vol. 25 Issue 3, p153

SOURCE TYPE

Academic Journal

DOC. TYPE

Article

ABSTRACT

The article presents a discussion of politics, war and loyalties in Afghanistan, focusing on the Pashtun ethnic group which spans the country's border with Pakistan. An overview of Afghanistan's late 20th century history, and an attempt to forecast likely developments for the early decades of the 21st century are provided. The Soviet invasion and the mujahedin who opposed it, with American help, are discussed. The rise of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and the Afghan War which began in 2001 are also analyzed.